US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said today, Friday, that he will travel to Doha next Sunday to meet with Qatari officials and thank them for their assistance during the evacuation process from Afghanistan.
Blinken added - in a press conference at the ministry headquarters - that he will meet with Afghanistan and employees in Qatar, which is really doing heroic work around the clock.
He stressed that Washington is working with its Qatari and Turkish partners to help restore Kabul Airport as soon as possible.
The minister explained that the US diplomatic team for Afghanistan has begun work in Doha, and is in contact with the Americans who are still in Afghanistan and want to leave, and provides them with clear instructions.
Blinken stressed that his country expects the next Afghan government to fulfill its obligations regarding freedom of travel, and not to allow Afghanistan to be a base for terrorism.
Blinken stressed that Washington would maintain channels of communication with the Taliban, on issues such as allowing the departure of those who choose to do so.
He said his administration is processing as many Afghans applying for the new visa program as possible, and is studying alternative ways to expedite this.
He added that the ministry has been making efforts since US President Joe Biden came to power last January to expedite special visa procedures for Afghans who worked with US forces during the 20-year war, noting that thousands of them are still in Afghanistan.
Last August, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan after the collapse of government forces and the flight of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to the UAE, paralleling a final stage of a US military withdrawal that was completed at the end of the same month.
And last Tuesday, the evacuation of foreign forces and Afghan citizens cooperating with them ended, and the Taliban movement began controlling the airport in the capital, Kabul.